Speed-regulating clutch.



atented Dec. 24, |90l.

(No Model.)

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. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY S. CREDLEBAUGH, OF NEWCARLISLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO W.F. BOHLANDER, 'OF PHONETON, OHIO.

SPI-:E D-REGULATING etui-QH.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of-Letters IPatent No. 689,812, datedDecember 24, 1901.

Application filed June' 2 7, 1901.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern: y

Be it known that LHENRY S. CEEDLEBAUGH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New Carlisle, in the countyof Clark and State of e Ohio, have invented certainnew'and useful`specication.

This invention comprises a speed-regulating clutch for driving machinesat uniform speeds from amachine or driver in which the speed is notuniform-forexample, a dynamo.

The object of the invention is to provide a governorl or automaticcontrolling device for preventing an overrunning of the dynamo and aconsequent injury to the same due to burning out. ,This object isaccomplished through the use of a governor or clutch'device which isplaced upon the shaft of the dynamo and is subject to the control ofspring tension and centrifugal force. For eX- ample, when the driving-machine, which may be a gas or gasolene engine, is running at variablespeed, as in the case of an automobileengine, the speed transmitted tothe dynamo Will be very nearly, if not absolutely, uniform. This is dueto the amount of frictional pressure between the clutch devices onthe'dyname-shaft, as Will be more fully described.

The invention is especially adapted to take `the place of storagebatteries and is intended for small dynamos, Where a small amount ofpoyver is required to be transmitted. class of dynamos as they areturned out by the manufacturers there is a limited space on the shaft,which is utilized by the present invention, which comprises the Vclutchhereinafter fully described. small space on the dynamo-shaft, which isnot more than a half-inch, it is necessary to make the clutch of verycompact form.

The invention has for its prime object to dispense with the use ofprimary or storage batteries for obtaining the initial spark in startingthe engine. l

In this.

In order to utilize this semina. 66,266. No modle In' carrying outtheobjects and purposes of my invention I employ a comparatively smalldriven' Wheel on the dynamo shaft, which is geared or belted to the ilyor driving wheel of the engine. It will therefore be understood that aslow motion imparted to such fly-Wheel, as in initially starting thesame by mentto the Amuch smaller Wheel on the dynamo-shaft, and thus theinitial spark will be furnished the engine practically instantaneousWith the manual starting of the engine. The uniform speed of the dynamois obtained by the driven wheel on the dynamo-shaft being subject to thecontrol of springs and centrifugal force at different times, so that theignition-sparks furnished the engine Will be at uniform periods.

Preceding a detail description of my invenrtion reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, 0f Which- Figure l is an elevation of my improvedView( on 'the line fr; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation showingthe clutch-collar lin position on the shaft.

In a detail description of my invention similar reference-lettersldenote corresponding parts in the drawings.

A designates a portion of a dynamo-shaft., the dynamo not appearing.Upon this shaft a friction-disk B, having a sleeve B', is rigidlymounted. served, ex'tends approximately to an end' of the shaft. rlhesleeve B' practically' forms the hub of the friction-disk B, and bymeans thereof a rigid attachment of said disk to the shaft A is enabled.Owing to the limited amount of space on the dynamo-shaft, it is notpracticable to provide the rigid disk B with a hub, for the reason thatthe said limited space will be encroached upon to such an extent as tomake it impracticable to mount the other parts of the clutch. Thereforethe said hub B is made in the form of a sleeve upon which the otherparts comprising the clutch are carried. Near midway of said sleeve aloose friction-disk E is mounted, and between these disks B and E apulley C is placed, the said pulley being loose on the sleeve B', as isalso the friction-disk E. For

hand,yvill transmit a comparatively fast movespeed-regulating clutch.Fig. 2 is a sectional The sleeve B', it will be ob- IOO the purposes ofmy invention it is desirable that the pulley C be a separatepart fromthe fixed friction-disk B in order that when said pulley runs idle itwill be free from any friction or load, therefore will release thedynamo-shaft much easier and quicker than it would if it carried anextra amount of weight' and was subjected to a greater friction in itsrotation. In the case of small dynamos, for which my invention isespecially adapted, it is necessary to release the pulley very freely,owing to the small amount of power required to drive the dynamo.Therefore by permitting the pulley to be entirely free from thefriction-disk when running idle there is removed from said pulley anyunnecessary and undesirable momentum, which would otherwise have atendency to rotate the dynamoshaft to some extent at least after thepulley was released.

D designates the rim of a fly-wheel, which, as before stated, may be thefly-wheel of a gas or gasolene engine.

As shown in the drawings, the wheels C and D are in frictional gear; butit will be readily understood that a belt connection may be had betweenthe two wheels, or possibly they may be spur-gears. When driven byfriction, the wheel C may be made of any of the preferred lnaterials,such as vulcanized ber, pressed paper, &c. As before stated, the pulleyC is inclosed between two frictiondisks, one of which is rigid on theshaft A, while the other is loose, and is therefore subject to lateralmovement, under which the said wheel C may be locked to rotate with theshaft A, and vice versa. The movements of the loose disk E are effectedthrough clutchjaws F, which are pivoted at H' to a clutchcollar, the hubHof which is fastto the sleeve B' by means of a screw H", which alsofixes the sleeve B to the shaft A, so that the said clutch-jaws,together with the sleeve B and disk B, rotate at'all times with theshaft A. The engaging ends F' of the clutch-jaws project to a suitableextent toward the axis of the loose disk E, and the said ends are at alltimes in more or less frictional contact with the adjacent face of thedisk E. The outer ends ofthe jaws F are suitably weighted bygovernor-balls J, which are connected by closed coil-springs I. Thenormal effect of these springs is to bind the pulley C through the diskE to the rigid disk B, which condition is maintained as long as thestrength of t-he springs I is greater than the eect of the centrifugalforce of the shaft A upon the jaws F; but it will be readily understoodthat when the power of centrifugal force is greater than the strength ofthe springs the frictional contact between the loose disk E and thepulley C will diminish to an extent commensurate with the degree ofcentrifugal force exerted upon the clutch devices. The speed of theshaft A will consequently slow down when the pulley C is thrown out ofgear therewith until the clutch-arms F again come under the influence ofthe springs I.

In many dynamos now in use which employ an electric battery to obtain aninitial spark a change to other means--for example, to an engine forobtainingsnchinitial sparkcannot be made without the substitution of anew dynamo or an entire new shaft, the latter of which is impracticableowing to the cost of the alteration in the dynamo. By means of thepresent invention such change may be made without substituting any partsof the dynamo.

Having described my invention, I claiml. In a clutch of the characterspecified, the combination of a shaft, a friction-disk rigidly mountedon said shaft having a sleeve B', another friction-disk loosely mountedon said sleeve B', a wheel through which said shaft is driven, saidwheel being loosely mounted on said shaft between said friction-disks, aclutch-collar rigidly attached to the sleeve B', clutch-jaws pivotallyconnected to said collar and coil-springs connected to said clutchjaws,the said clutch-jaws being enabled by said springs to effect africtional contact between the friction-disks and the wheel, at suchtimes when said jaws are not under the control of centrifugal force,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a speed-regulating clutch, the combination of a shaft, afriction-disk rigidly mounted upon said shaft, said friction-disk havinga sleeve portion which incloses said shaft, a friction-disk looselymounted upon said sleeve, a wheel loosely mounted upon said sleevebetween the f riction-disks, clutchjaws, a collar to which saidclutch-jaws are pivoted, said collar being rigidly united to the sleeve,the ends of the clutch-jaws adjacent to the loose friction-disk beingprojected toward the axis of said, friction-disk, and closedcoil-springs controlling said clutchjaws to engage the loosefriction-disk and thereby frictionally lock the wheel to the shaft atsuch times when centrifugal force does not overcome the effect of saidsprings, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY S. CREDLEBAUGH.

Witnesses:

J oHN W. KALBFUS, R. J. MCCARTY.

